1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to customization of a Web page, particularly to a method and a system for customizing a Web page which allows a user to add and erase an object on a Web page and to change an attribute of an object. Meanwhile, in this specification, addition/erasure of an object on a Web page and change of an attribute of an object are called customization. Moreover, an individual operation for customizing, addition of an object for instance, is called a customizing operation. A “user” is used as a word as opposed to an “author” who creates and manages an HTML document, and it means all the people who browse an HTML document (including end users and network administrators).
2. Prior Art
If a new hyperlink is to be added to an existing Web page, or if a link target of an existing hyperlink is to be changed, it is necessary to edit an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) file. It is also necessary to edit an HTML file likewise when an object such as text, an image, a table or a Java applet is added or erased on a Web page. However, since only a creator (an author) of an HTML file is usually authorized to edit the file, a user has not ben allowed to add various information nor change a link target of a hyperlink. It is possible to save HTML file on a hard disk by utilizing Web page capturing software and manually edit so as to modify a Web page. However, it requires high-level knowledge such as HTML and CS (Cascading Style Sheet), and in addition, modification cannot be shared with other users since the modified page is saved on a local disk. Even if the modified HTML file is saved on a Web server, a new HTML file must be created each time it is modified so that the user needs to remember a URL for each modified HTML file in addition to an original URL, an thus administration of URLs becomes complicated.
For instance, a community supporting system can be constructed with NetCollage of NEC. It is capable of pasting text, an image, a program and an ink annotation directly on a Web page and also sharing the pasted objects with other users. Added objects are placed on a layer (a layer by an original technology, and not a layer of DynamicHTML), and it is possible to set what should be displayed to which uer by having access control on each layer. However, it is necessary to use a dedicated browser. Addable objects are only text, an image, a program and an ink annotation. It is not capable of changing an attribute of an object or erasing an existing object. It is also necessary to install the program on a client machine in advance.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for customizing a Web page which does not require use of a dedicated browser.
Another object is to provide a method and a system for customizing a Web page which are capable of adding all types of objects describable in HTML such as text, an image, a program, a hyperlink, a table and a Java applet.
A further object is to provide a method and a system for customizing a Web page which are capable of changing an attribute of an object and erasing an existing object.
A still further object is to provide a method and a system for customizing a Web page which do not need to be installed on a client machine in advance.
A still further object is to provide a method and a system for customizing a Web page which allow addition, erasure and modification to be shared in a group.
A still further object is to provide a method and a system for customizing a Web page which allow a customized Web page to appear only by specifying an original URL.